Breastfeeding and smoking marijuana

Patient: I smoked one hit of weed but i stopped breast feeding since i did and its been two weeks and my babys been on formula wen can i breastfeed him agian so it is out of my system and heathy for him

Doctor: The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, is stored in fat tissues for long periods (weeks to months). The time taken for it to clear from the system varies with individuals, their weight and rate of metabolism. But usually one hit of marijuana may clear up within a couple of weeks, and you may feed your baby after this period. You need to be careful though, because greater amounts of THC are secreted in the breast milk with increased smoking of marijuana, which would certainly be harmful to your baby.The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, is stored in fat tissues for long periods (weeks to months). The time taken for it to clear from the system varies with individuals, their weight and rate of metabolism. But usually one hit of marijuana may clear up within a couple of weeks, and you may feed your baby after this period. You need to be careful though, because greater amounts of THC are secreted in the breast milk with increased smoking of marijuana, which would certainly be harmful to your baby.

Dr. Jimmy Obaji M.D.

Dr. Jimmy Obaji completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He currently operates a walk-in-clinic in downtown Toronto.